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- Sehwag hit on the ribs, will be fit for England tie
- Mamata’s rail budget promises growth with human face
- It’s common man’s budget, says PM
- New Zealand all out for 206 against Australia
- ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ – watch it for Madhavan
- Rahat case fallout: Pakistani artistes need NOC to go abroad
- Mamata Banerjee starts presenting her fifth rail budget
- Railway budget highlights 4
- Railway budget highlights – 3
- Railway budget highlights 2
| Sehwag hit on the ribs, will be fit for England tie Posted: 25 Feb 2011 02:11 AM PST
“Virender Sehwag was hit on the left ribcage in the nets earlier today. He is currently under medication. However, he is expected to be fit for the match against England on Sunday,” BCCI secretary N. Srinivasan said in a statement. Sehwag struck a smashing 175 in the team’s torunament opener against Bangladesh. |
| Mamata’s rail budget promises growth with human face Posted: 25 Feb 2011 01:00 AM PST
From more money for better safety and several industrial parks under the public-private partnership model to new coach factories and rail-based industries, the budget sought to address all constituencies – the needs of the corporate sector as well as average passengers. “We have taken a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, building sustainable, efficient, rapidly-growing railways. On the other, having an acute sense of social responsibility towards the common people,” Banerjee told the Lok Sabha. “In this budget we have attempted to combine a strong economic focus with an equivalent emphasis on social inclusion with a human face,” she said in her opening remarks of what was her fifth such exercise as railways minister. The latest rail budget also comes against the backdrop of the assembly elections due soon in the home state of the minister, whose Trinamool Congress has set its eyes on forming the next government. Opposition members, especially those from the Rashtriya Janata Dal, Samajwadi Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party, were up on their feet, protesting what they said was undue attention to West Bengal in the annual rail budget. But Banerjee was equally fiery. “I am proud of my state. I’ll do whatever possible for West Bengal along with what I’ll do for other states of my country.” This led to some disruptions, forcing the minister to stop her speech on several occassions. In the previous two rail budgets for the United Progressive Alliance government, Banerjee had announced 122 new trains in 2009-10 and another 54 a year later, without altering the freight or passenger tariff rates. Indian Railways, the world’s second largest under a single management, has a network of 64,099 route km to ferry as many as 18.9 million passengers on 7,000 trains daily from 6,906 stations. It also runs 4,000 freight trains to carry 850 million tonnes of cargo. Following are the highlights of the budget: * Safety first priority; accident rate has come down. * Decision to start pilot projects to give shelter to homeless people. * Outlay of 57,630 crore for 2011-12, the highest investment in one year. * Rs.10,000 crore to be raised through railway bonds. * Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojna to be launched. * Industrial park to be set up in Nandigram, West Bengal. * Fund to be created for socially desirable projects. * First coach from Rae Bareli factory in next three months. * Work on wagon factory in Orissa to begin after land is acquired. * Railways to set up factory in Jammu and Kashmir. * To set up Metro coach factory at Singur, West Bengal. * Manipur to be soon connected to railway network. * Centre for excellence in software to be set up at Darjeeling. * Combines strong economic focus along with inclusion. * Develop business-oriented policies to aid industry. * Happy to announce 85 PPP proposals received; set up single-window system to take these forward. * Decide to set-up rail-based industries. * Upgraded class of air conditioned travel to be introduced shortly. * Anti-collision device, successful in North West Frontier Railway, to be extended to three more zonal railways. * Will add 180 km of rail lines in 2011-12. * All-India security helpline set up. * To adopt modern technology through centres of academic excellence. * Work started on two dedicated freight corridors. * Work on upgrading 442 stations to be completed by March 31. * First coach from Rae Bareli factory in next three months. |
| It’s common man’s budget, says PM Posted: 25 Feb 2011 12:56 AM PST
“It is a common man’s budget with no increase in freight and passenger fares. It will help to weaken the cost crucial element of inflationary expectations,” the prime minister told reporters outside parliament. “At the same time, the railway minister has taken good care to increase investment in critical areas of railway infrastructure, thereby sustaining the growth momentum of the economy,” he added. Banerjee Friday presented the rail budget for 2011-12, promising to move to build a stronger railroad infrastructure while addressing the needs of the average passengers. |
| New Zealand all out for 206 against Australia Posted: 24 Feb 2011 11:50 PM PST
New Zealand were bowled out for 206 against Australia in the Group A World Cup match here Friday. Nathan McCullum (52) and Daniel Vettori (44) helped New Zealand recover from a precarious 121/7. Fast bowler Mitchel Johnson took four wickets while Shaun Tait got three as New Zealand folded up in 45.1 overs. |
| ‘Tanu Weds Manu’ – watch it for Madhavan Posted: 24 Feb 2011 11:47 PM PST
Why should you watch “Tanu Weds Manu”? For R. Madhavan who will win you heart as a sweet lovable NRI doctor Manu who has the misfortune of falling in love with a Kanpur-girl Tanu (Kangana Ranaut) who not only rejects him as a suitor but also uses him to elope with her ruffian boyfriend. Hiding his heartbreak and disappointment behind a smile, Madhavan fits into the role of a goody goody NRI like a glove. He is hopelessly in love with Tanuja who doesn’t miss a single opportunity to hurt him. Rules, they say, are meant to be broken and that’s what Tanu’s agenda in life is – to break all rules that a middle-class family swears by. Well, an NRI coming home to find a suitable bride for him is very common in Indian society and director Anand Rai’s comedy opens with the same. He tries to be as close to reality as possible – from the backdrop, to clothes, to character artists – all bring out the element of a middle-class setup perfectly. With a marriage in the background providing a perfect place for Tanu’s second chance meeting with Manu, the movie traces the relationship between the girl and the NRI. Surely, perfect material for sentimental romances with ‘comedy ka tadka’. But there is something missing to make it a perfect romantic comedy. First, the script is punctured, then their is no chemistry between Madhavan and Kangana and if that was not enough, the narrative doesn’t flow at the desired pace – it’s slower than it should be. Though the director picked up an interesting subject, he has not succeeded in executing his story effectively on screen – there are not enough laughs in the film. Whatever funny scenes are there, credit goes to the chemistry between Madhavan and Deepak Dobriyal who plays his friend Pappi. Kangana’s dialogue delivery puts you off and she lacks the spunk and spark to play the free bird that she is in the movie. In fact, Swara Bhaskar, who plays her friend Payal, holds the fort as the Bihari girl who is marrying a sardarji (Eijaz Khan) who also happens to be Manu’s best friend. Payal is impressed with Manu and even tries to drill some sense into Tanu’s head but Tanu, a rebel, doesn’t want to admit her feelings for the man who is picked by her parents. Critics won’t appreciate the plot but Madhavan fans would find enough material to enjoy the film. Music plays an important role in a wedding-based romantic comedy and the director could have got it right if he had opted for fast-paced peppy numbers. In the performance department, full marks go to Madhavan, Deepak and Swara. The supporting cast of K.K. Raina, Rajendra Gupta and Navni Parihar don’t have much to do, but whatever role they have, they carry it well. Jimmy Shergill as Kangana’s ruffian boyfriend is wasted, so is Ravi Kishen as his sidekick. If you are looking for a great romantic comedy, this is not the one, but watch it for Madhavan and his chemistry with Deepak. |
| Rahat case fallout: Pakistani artistes need NOC to go abroad Posted: 24 Feb 2011 11:34 PM PST
Calling it an “ominous development”, the editorial in the Dawn Friday said Interior Minister Rehman Malik told the National Assembly that students wanting to go abroad on scholarships – as well as artistes – would have to obtain an NOC from his ministry before they can leave the country. “Malik did not give a reason for this bizarre decision, yet it was supposedly taken after the embarrassing episode in which singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained by Indian authorities at Delhi`s airport as he attempted to board a flight with a hefty amount of undeclared cash,” the editorial said. Rahat was detained at New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport Feb 13 for carrying undeclared foreign currency worth more than $124,000. India’s Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) investigated him for more than a week before returning his passport and fining him and his manager Rs.1.5 million each. Rahat, the nephew of legendary singer Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, is popular both in India and Pakistan. Several of his hit songs from Indian films are a rage on both sides of the border, for which he has won several awards, including the recent Filmfare Award for “Dil to Bachcha Hai Jee”. The Dawn editorial cited reports as saying that intelligence agencies “would see which country was providing scholarships (to students) and for what purpose”. It asked: “Why are such steps – more suited to police states – being taken during the tenure of a democratic government? If such a move had been made during a military dictatorship, perhaps it would have been unsurprising…Why does the government seem intent on limiting Pakistanis` contacts with the world?” Highlighting the problem, the daily said that “already numerous foreign scholarships are wasted as the relevant ministries fail to advertise and inform students about them”. “For those students who manage to secure scholarships on their own, this step will only add a bureaucratic hurdle in their way. NOCs can be difficult to obtain even for government employees, so one can imagine the hassle a student will have to put up with in order to get the document. “As for artists, performers already have to go through a complex procedure to secure foreign visas. Why make things more complicated?” It wrapped up saying, “In essence, the NOC will serve as a permit to leave the country with the interior ministry having the final say about who can and cannot travel abroad”. There “are very serious questions the rulers need to consider before implementing this bad idea.” it added. “It should be nipped in the bud before it is allowed to impinge on people`s rights and restrict free travel. Such questionable measures have no place in a democratic society.” |
| Mamata Banerjee starts presenting her fifth rail budget Posted: 24 Feb 2011 11:32 PM PST
“We have taken a two-pronged approach. On the one hand, building sustainable, efficient, rapidly-growing railways. On the other, having an acute sense of social responsibility towards the common people,” Baneerjee told the Lok Sabha. “In this budget we have attempted to combine a strong economic focus with an equivalent emphasis on social inclusion with a human face,” she said in her opening remarks of what was her fifth such exercise as railways minister. The latest rail budget also comes against the backdrop of assembly elections due soon in the home state of the minister, whose Trinamool Congress has set its eyes on forming the next government. In the previous two rail budgets for the United Progressive Alliance government, she had announced 122 new trains in 2009-10 and another 54 a year later, without altering the freight or passenger tariff rates. Indian Railways, the world’s second largest under a single management, has a network of 64,099 route km to ferry as many as 18.9 million passengers on 7,000 trains daily from 6,906 stations. It also runs 4,000 freight trains to carry 850 million tonnes of cargo. |
| Posted: 24 Feb 2011 11:28 PM PST
More highlights from Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s budget presented in the Lok Sabha Friday: * Upgraded class of air conditioned travel to be introduced shortly. * Anti-collision device, successful in North West Frontier Railway, to be extended to three more zonal railways. * Railways always been a soft target but law and order a state subject. If railways are blocked in one region, this has a snowballing effect in other parts of the country. * Will add 180 km of rail lines in 2011-12. * All-India security helpline set up. * To adopt modern technology through centres of academic excellence. * Work started on two dedicated frieght corridors. * Work on upgrading 442 stations to be completed by March 31. * First coach from Rae Bareli factory in next three months. * Work on wagon factory in Orissa to begin after land is acquired. * Railways to set up factory in Jammu and Kashmir. * To set up Metro coach factory at Singur in West Bengal. * Manipur to be soon connected to railway network. * Centre for excellence in software to be set up at Darjeeling. * Combines strong economic focus along with inclusion. * Develop business-oriented policies to aid industry. * Happy to announce 85 PPP proposals received; set up single-window system to take these forward. * Decide to set up rail-based industries. |
| Posted: 24 Feb 2011 11:27 PM PST
More highlights from Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s budget presented in the Lok Sabha Friday: * Safety first priority; accident rate has come down. * Decision to start pilot projects to give shelter to homeless people. * Outlay of 57,630 crore for 2011-12, the highest investment in one year. * Rs.10,000 crore to be raised through railway bonds. * Pradhan Mantri Rail Vikas Yojna to be launched. * Industrial park to be set up in Nandigram, West Bengal. * Fund to be created for socially desirable projects. * First coach from Rai Bareli factory in next three months. * Work on wagon factory in Orissa to begin after land is acquired. * Railways to set up factory in Jammu and Kashmir. * To set up Metro coach factory at Singur, West Bengal. * Manipur to be soon connected to railway network. * Centre for excellence in software to be set up at Darjeeling. * Combines strong economic focus along with inclusion. * Develop business-oriented policies to aid industry. * Happy to announce through 85 PPP proposals received; set up single-window system to take these forward. * Decide to set-up rail-based industries. |
| Posted: 24 Feb 2011 11:26 PM PST
Following are more highlights from Mamata Banerjee’s railway budget, presented in the Lok Sabha Friday: * First coach from Rai Bareli factory in next three months. * Work on wagon factory in Orissa to begin after land is acquired. * Railways to set up factory in Jammu and Kashmir. * To set up Metro coach factory at Singur in West Bengal. * Manipur to be soon connected to railway network. * Centre for excellence in software to be set up at Darjeeling. * Combines strong economic focus along with inclusion. * Develop business-oriented policies to aid industry. * Happy to announce through 85 PPP proposals received; set up single-window system to take these forward. * Decide to set-up rail-based industries. |
Destructive opener Virender Sehwag was hit on the left ribcage while batting in the nets Friday, but will be fit to play against England in India’s second World Cup game here Sunday.
With highest ever allocation of Rs.57,630 crore ($13 billion), Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee Friday presented the rail budget for 2011-12, promising to move fast to build a stronger railroad infrastructure while addressing the needs of the average person.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday praised the rail budget presented by Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee as a “common man’s budget”.
Film: “Tanu Weds Manu”; Cast: R. Madhavan, Kangana Ranaut, Jimmy Shergil, Swara Bhaskar; Director: Anand L. Rai; Rating: ** 1/2
Pakistani artists and students would now need to have a no-objection certificate from the interior ministry, a decision that was “supposedly taken after the embarrassing episode in which singer Rahat Fateh Ali Khan was detained by Indian authorities”, said a leading Pakistani daily.
Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee began presenting the rail budget for 2011-12 in the Lok Sabha Friday with the promise of not only moving ahead faster to build a strong railroad infrastructure but also to address the needs of the average person.| You are subscribed to email updates from Latest News To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
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